That Night
by Gab.ri.elle.J
Summary: That night... It was the night when the monsters came, came to haunt me until I died. I would never be able to escape. Never. What was I really thinking, trying to kill the rat? I just ended up living in fear. Fear from the mosters that haunted my life.


That night...

It was the night when the monsters came, came to haunt me until the night I died. I would never be able to escape. Never.

***

It was my Godson's second Halloween; he was just over one year old. There was no way he could remember, but I still wanted to make it special, as special as possible, considering it was going to be held while hiding from one of the Darkest and most dangerous Wizards our country has ever seen.

It was also the night I would have to let down my best friend, my mate, who had been with me throughout all of our pranking and adventures during school, the one who had become an animagi with me, to help protect our friend, who had discovered countless secret passages with me, who had taken me in as a brother when my own family did not want to know me. He had never let me down, never, not even once. Yet here I was, so ready, so willing to pass off the fate of his family to another.

I took a last fleeting look around the kitchen of the one bed roomed unit I was renting in London, not too far from Diagon Alley, before stepping forward and twisting on the spot, concentrating all of my thoughts on the quiet streets of the outskirts of Godric's Hollow.

I landed not-so-gracefully on the curb at the end of the street, immediately knowing that _something _was _not_ right. I wrapped my cloak around me, glancing at the houses surrounding me, ensuring that no one was peering out of their windows, and that the trick-or-treaters had gone home, and were safely snuggled in their beds, waiting for their parents to turn out the lights before pulling handfuls of candy from under their sheets.

All was quiet.

I pictured the huge dog whose form I took before shifting shape into the animal.

I ran down the street full pelt, looking for the place that should have been invisible to all eyes, except for my own.

It was then that I saw the ruin that was my best friend's house, and I immediately predicted the worst. Stopping right in front of the gate I stared up at the house in horror. The killing curse NEVER destroyed buildings, only lives. Something had happened, something new, unheard of. I should have realised that much when there was no dark mark floating above the house.

I resumed my human form, before drawing my wand and pushing the metal gate completely open and edging forward.

The front door was wide open. Lying in the front hall was a body. His body. My best friend. Gone. He would never laugh, never cry, never fly, never love again. He was gone.

I side stepped around the body, looking for what I knew would come next.

I looked around the remainder of the first floor, but there was nothing.

_Oh God,_ I thought. _Please let them be ok. Please let Lilly and Harry be ok._

I edged my way up the stairs, slowly, as if not to let whatever was waiting up here be forewarned of my presence.

First, Lilly and James's room. Nothing. The guest room, still nothing. The bathroom across the hall, again, nothing.

I stood outside the last door on the second floor, knowing that I would see a gaping hole looking out into the street. Knowing that I would see two bodies. The bodies of two of the people, beside the man in the front hall, who meant the most to me.

With a deep breath, the inevitable was impossible to put off for long, I pushed the door open.

The room was a mess. Toys strewn everywhere, in pieces. Glass from the window all over the floor. The rocking chair that I had seen both of my friends nurse their baby boy in, now blasted to smithereens.

A body, a single body. The body of a lady, a beautiful young lady, who had a look of immense fear plastered to her beautiful features. I leant over her, closing her eyes, arranging her face into a peaceful expression, I couldn't bare to look at the expression on her face, I knew It would haunt me forever, knowing what she had faced.

I looked up from her, around the room, for the body of the boy who knew would be dead. Instead my eyes focussed on the one thing in the room that had not been destroyed. The cot, in the middle of the room.

I walked over to it, expecting to see the lifeless body of my young godson, instead to see a young boy, lying on his back, beautiful green eyes open, though red and bloodshot from crying, waiting for his mother to jump up and pull him into her arms, waiting for his father to jump out from behind the door, and surround both of them, pulling them tight and telling them how much he loved them both.

I knew that that would never happen. The bloodshot eyes of this young boy would never set eyes on his parents again. I reached out for him, to pick him up.

"Harry, my darling godson," I said, choking back tears that had been waiting to fall since first setting eyes on the house, "Harry, oh, Harry, you are alive!"

I clutched the young boy to my chest, not knowing how long I could stand the immense feelings of grief that were now flowing through my body.

Finally breaking, I collapsed on the floor, silent tears rocking my body. I felt Harry curling up close to me, the last family he had left, not counting Lilly's horrible sister, I knew that I had to protect him, it was my duty to him, and to James and Lilly, to find the man who had destroyed their lives. There were two, and I knew EXACTLY which one I was going to deal with first.

Peter Pettigrew was going to die tonight.

I pulled myself together, knowing what was now going to happen. I looked down at Harry, who had drifted off into a disturbed sleep. Not wanting to picture the kinds of things the young boy was seeing I looked away, and pushed myself off the ground, still with Harry in my arms.

Turning to face Lilly Potters body I drew my wand and levitated her in front of me as I walked down the stairs. Laying her on the ground in the undisturbed sitting room I placed the sleeping Harry on the couch. I walked into the front hall I levitated what was once James into the sitting room and lay him beside his wife. I knelt down and rearranged James's features, as I had done to Lilly. Now they looked like they could have been sleeping. It felt odd, touching their cold bodies, but I knew I could not stand knowing that last looks i would have of them would be of fear filled eyes and a silent prayer for their only son on their lips.

Standing, I cast a Patronus, and sent it to Dumbledore, telling him what had happened. I know I should have done it sooner but I don't care. My only thought was for Dumbledore and the Order to get here quickly, so I could find the Rat and kill him.

I turned back to my godson, and picked him up. Moving back upstairs I grabbed the blanket from his crib, and wrapped him in it. He stirred slightly, his eyes flicking open before closing and going back to his now (hopefully) peaceful slumber.

Walking back through the sitting room I had one last look at the bodies of my friends. With a feeling I could not recognise stabbing at my heart, I turned to the front door with Harry in my arms, probably for the last time.

***

A/N So, what do you think?

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There will be one or two more chapters... I haven't decided yet...

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